


Things that go bump in the night

by TheCrimsonValley



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 15:50:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16178267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCrimsonValley/pseuds/TheCrimsonValley
Summary: When things go bump in the night, old memories can be drawn out simply by the presence of darkness.





	Things that go bump in the night

“Did you not hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“That noise just now!”

Sebastian watched how his partner rolled over onto his back, he could see Joseph’s forehead folding in nice wrinkles as he seemed to concentrate and then the black haired man’s eyes meet up with the detectives once more.

“No, I don’t hear anything Seb”

“I swear, there was this noise just there, it sounded like someone walking in the house.”

There was a sigh and Joseph pulled with the back of his hand over his eyes. The clock on the bedside table told that it was a few minutes past one in the night. Outside there was a calm wind blowing and the light from the moon threw a glow onto their new bedroom that seemed so unfamiliar. Living in a house was nothing like living in an apartment in a noisy city.

“It’s just the floor” his boyfriend mumbled “it’s nothing.”

At first Sebastian wanted to beg the differ but he managed to hold his tongue, at least for a moment. One glance was enough to tell him how exhausted Joseph was, dark circles under the eyes he could barely keep open. The detective felt more than bad for keeping his companion awake but he could not let go of the thought.

“I’ll go check on Leslie.”

He sat up in the bed, dragged a hand over his own face and felt that the stubble that he had neglected for a while was really going to grow into a full beard. He had not asked Joseph if that would be to his taste but somewhere, since there had been no complaints, he guessed that it would be fine. Besides there were more important things going on around them and there was really no time to concentrate an argument onto facial hair.

For a little moment he felt the warm fingers of his boyfriend onto his thigh, perhaps beckoning him to stay but then came the light sigh and a “okay, just don’t wake him up”. Seb simply nodded as an answer as he swung his legs out of bed and raised up.

The room was awfully cold. The working heating system didn’t seem to be enough, even on early autumn nights and somewhere they had both discussed installing more heaters than there already were but of course there were costs to that too. Somewhere he was happy he could discuss budgets and economics with Joseph without them having an argument.

Slowly he moved through the dimly lit room, listening closely to the sounds around him. By now the creaking of his own footsteps drowned out all other sounds. In one way it unnerved him and in another it was a comfort not to hear someone run in panic out of the house. As he reached the doorway he threw a glance back onto the bed, seeing Joseph move around in an unruly fashion. He made a note mentally to himself to try and be back as soon as possible.

As he got out into the corridor he set his eyes onto the wall. There was some glow in the dark stars on them, leading in a short trail from their bedroom to Leslies. Strangely enough Joseph had been the one quicker onto the idea than he himself, suggesting that they make a little trail that the pale youth would be able to follow in the night in case he woke up frightened. The youngster had been delighted, even picked out the glowing stickers himself and now they were sitting there, shining in a dim pink colour.

He followed the trail quickly, ending up before the opened door to Leslie’s room. Seb felt a little smile spreading as it was more like looking into the room of a smaller child than that of a youngster. It was strangely nostalgic in some fashion.

Lit on the bedside table was a small lamp that, through some mastery of glass and metal, made it look like a starry sky was spread all over the walls. It was not often that the white haired youth seemed aware of his surroundings but when they had gone through the shop in an eternal search for a lamp for the living room that neither him nor Joseph would hate, the little ornament had caught Leslie’s eyes. In the end, that was the only lamp they had bought and somewhere Sebastian was happy he had gotten a photo of how proud the youngster had been when they went home with it.

In the light of the lamp the youth looked so tiny where he laid in the bed, surrounded by a dozen pillows that he had simply gathered from the entire house and almost built a little wall with in his bed. He was clutching a plush animal, some sort of horse that was so pink it almost shine in the darkness. Seb had almost had a hard time looking at it when Leslie has picked it out in the store but somewhere he had found he could not say no once the youngster broke out of his shell and communicated he actually wanted something.

“Have a good sleep kiddo” he mumbled, not wishing to disturb the young man’s sleep.

He turned and started to move back, admitting defeat. It was just the house making those noises, no one else was in there. He cursed himself inside of his skull, trying to force his mind to accept that the three of them were indeed safe and far away from that place that had made their life hell.

As he entered their bedroom once more, trying to sneak up to the bed, he could see Joseph flip over on his back. The dark haired man had clearly remained awoken through the detectives stroll through the house. Seb restrained all “funny” remarks as he slid into the bed once more.

For a while they laid there in silence, him trying to shut his eyes and fall to sleep. It had been too long since he could get decent nights and wake up well rested. Most of the time he would get a few hours in the beginning and a few in the end.

As his mind drifted, there was a creaking again, shaking him awake and making him sit up straight.

“There it was again!”

“Sebastian cut it out!”

He did not expect Joseph to answer back with such force and it seemed to distract his mind completely from what he had just heard.

“There is nothing there!” the dark haired man continued as he sat up, his eyes telling of exhaustion and frustration “so just go to sleep!”

“Look it’s not like I can help it, I’m just worried that someone…”

“You think you’re the only one who’s worried about that?”

Once this comment had left Joseph’s lips in a shaking voice Sebastian had grown completely quiet. He could see the pale man trembling where he was sitting, trying to keep up the attitude of strength though it was clear he was about to break.

“Don’t you think I think of it too, that someone might come… that we might go through…” Joseph continued, his voice breaking and only a soft “oh god” escaping his lips.

That was enough of a cue for the detective as he moved in softly, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and holding him close. He could feel Joseph’s body trembling under his fingers and there were a few shaky breaths but other than that nothing.

“Look… I’m sorry” he muttered, feeling he needed to say something “I… I talk so much shit, as soon as something gets on my mind I say it and… I don’t think how hard it is on you too…”

He only received a small whimper from the man in his arms but he did not care much if there were words or not. Somewhere the torment was permanent for all three of them and only healing with time would take care of it. Of course there was counselling too but it never touched upon the more “morbid” subjects, the things that they could not tell or else they risked a permanent stay in the mental ward. 

He stroke his fingers through Joseph’s hair, gently hushing as he held his boyfriend as close as possible. Somewhere he almost wished he could have become one with his love at this point, wishing to be inside that mind and chase all the bad thoughts out.

“I’m… I’m fine”

The words were followed by Joseph breaking free from his arms and drying away the last tears. Seb gently reached his hand out, stroking it over the still wet cheeks and he was happy to see that his love tried to smile.

“You’re real strong Joseph” he then said.

“I need to be.”

The answer was expected and Sebastian did not put too much weight onto it as he moved down into a laying position, dragging his boyfriend with him and holding his arm around him as they laid, protected by the blankets from the chilling air in the room.

“How about we take some days off?” he murmured, trying to sooth his companions mind “let’s go to the sea or something before it gets too cold.”

“That sounds nice”

Joseph’s answer were merely a whisper and with a calm look Seb observed his boyfriend falling asleep. As softly as possible he reached in, placing a kiss onto the pale forehead.

“Sleep tight doll.”


End file.
